Australia’s olive oil companies are now being asked to consider upcycling olive oil pomace for cosmetics as health and wellbeing become the buzzword. The movement is about extracting antioxidants from olive oil waste and using it to create valuable goods.
Key Takeaways
- Upcycling pomace could reduce waste and promote a circular economy in the olive oil industry.
- Antioxidants in olive oil waste are seen as a valuable asset for skincare and cosmetic products.
- Lack of producer interest remains a hurdle, despite growing consumer interest in sustainable beauty.
Australian olive oil manufacturers have a treat in store: convert the residue from olive oil production, called pomace, into cosmetic raw materials. With antioxidants and vitamin E from the waste olive oil, it is an ideal candidate for skincare products. This waste could be reused, if only Catherine Cervasio, a developer of skincare products, was allowed to argue that it could drastically reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and respond to demand for health and wellbeing.
The waste from pomace could be as much as 85% of the value of olive oil extraction, and it is now mostly farmed or used as stock feed. But that whey still boasts a great deal of antioxidants for cosmetic purposes. Whether reclaiming olive oil waste from cosmetics is the question for Cervasio: wouldn’t that be a win for producers, as well as Australia’s own ability to lead the way in sustainable beauty?
The first thing is fighting against the thinking that there is not enough demand for these products. Nonetheless, consumer preferences towards wellness and sustainable beauty have increased which hints at market opportunities changing. Focusing on the value of olive oil pomace could see producers capitalise on this expanding trend, and possibly put Australian olive oil on the beauty world stage.
In a few more studies, it could even stabilise pomace for skin care products such as creams, scrubs and serums. This campaign could see Australian ingredients enter the international beauty stage and revolutionise upcycled skincare.
